We Want Media

Since the release of the notorious news video featuring rats overrunning a Manhattan KFC/Taco Bell, widely viewed on websites like YouTube, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has stepped up their inspections, shutting down almost 100 of the city’s restaurants since the video became available, according to the New York Times.

Restaurant owners are quick to defend the cleanliness of their establishments and shift blame to the unfortunate media attention resulting from the rat video, nonetheless. To me, there is no such thing as an overzealous health inspector. It should further be considered that failing parts of the inspection does not necessarily mean immediate closure for an establishment. Rather, these inadequacies often only serve as a warning. A violation on another occasion is usually required for a restaurant to actually be shut down.

Restaurant owners should regard health safety as their utmost priority. I can completely understand being caught on an off-day, because mistakes obviously happen to all of us. But if a citation by the Department of Health isn’t enough to make you clean up your act, I’m afraid to know what it just might take to do so. And in that case, maybe a little off-time is just what your restaurant deserves.